New AG promises friendly touch

New Attorney General John Jeremie indicated yesterday that he would not be a combative Attorney General, but would function rather as a constitutionalist.

He was speaking with members of the media at the swearing-in ceremony at the President’s House yesterday. He said while the functions of the office of Attorney General were set out in the constitution, he conceded that each AG had his/her own style which defined his/her legacy. “And my style is not combative,” he said. And he suggested that this style would influence how he would seek to get the Opposition, which has adopted a position of non-cooperation, to support those critical pieces of legislation so crucial to government’s policies and programmes. “I will reach out a hand of friendship and see where that leads me,” he said. He added that he believed that a consensus could be arrived at by persons who genuinely have the interests of Trinidad and Tobago at heart. He said that while it was too early to  tell how he would relate to the Opposition, he “had a relationship” with both Ganga Singh and Kamla Persad-Bissessar, with whom he attended law school.

On the concerns expressed by the Opposition on the number of briefs which Alexander, Jeremie and Company secured during this government’s tenure, Jeremie said the last Attorney General Glenda Morean presented a comprehensive response to a question on legal briefs, and therefore the answer should have been available to “my friend and colleague, Mr Ganga Singh.” Stressing that there were no secrets, Jeremie said the law firm itself received one brief while he as junior counsel appeared with several seniors in no more than five matters. He said there was no outcry from the Opposition at the time this information was available. Asked what his point-of-view on the reservations which Government appeared to be having on the Integrity Legislation which has resulted in the decision to refer the Integrity declaration forms to a Joint Select Committee, Jeremie stated that he was part of a Cabinet now and therefore adhered to the  principle of collective responsibility. He said his views would be shared with the Cabinet.

Jeremie affirmed his belief in the independence of the Judiciary, a principle which this Government had adhered to. He said the former AGs acquitted themselves well. In response to a question, the Attorney General stated that while he could not say why the Prime Minister selected him as AG, the fact that his  experience has been both in academia as well as private practice probably factored in the Prime Minister’s preference. Asked what were his legislative priorities, Jeremie said they were fixed at least in the short term by the outgoing AG, who left him a hectic schedule, which includes the Summary Court Amendment Act, Summary Courts Rules and the Mediation Bill and Mutual Assistance Treaty.